Consumers feel a lot more comfortable if experts have attached a rating to what they are buying. Even with all the subjectivity this involves it makes a decision so much easier and rating all manner of things has been quite a growth industry for the last few decades. A number gives brevity to a complex buying decision. Thus we have ratings for hotels to five stars; the idea of Michelin starred restaurants has spread world wide with many local city guides; and our own favourite, rating wines is a booming business.

It may be hard to believe now but the idea of giving a number to a wine which summarises its quality is quite a recent development as is the idea of judging wines in a systematic manner.

Tasting notes using the floral prose favoured today are also recent. Prior to 1940 simple precise notes were used but seldom went with a score. Often a wine was simply called 'very fine' or excellent vintage. The precision industry of today probably can be traced back to the development of wine science schools. This mindset develops numbers as a way to impart information.

The problem today is that when the top score has been proclaimed what is left if something even better comes along. Thus has been born the idea of six star hotels. I also was not surprised to find that La Maison de Marc Veyrat after getting 20/20 in Gault Millau has been promoted to six stars in Michelin. Inflation steadily erodes the rating system.

As another example, the local paper in South Australia, 'The Advertiser' recently (November, 2007) rated its top 100 wines for the year. Now you would expect these to be good wines but with 28% being pointed with gold medals, 93/100 or higher, my scepticism was aroused. As it so happens I have tried many of these wines recently and of this exalted level they are not. Just another opinion? Yes, I agree but we must leave room for the truly amazing or do they become the first wines ever to point above 100. We discussed this topic at length in How a Three Star Wine Became a 90 Point Wine.

Imagine my delight when Murdoch launched his News Corp business channel in America to find that the guest list included not only media titans and other heavies but Bo Derek, the same Bo that scored a perfect ten out of ten in her film "10" and this was not for her acting ability. Age can improve some ratings at least for a little while (and wine comes to mind) but in general the years are not kind. Ratings are a here and now thing though Bo Derek looks pretty damn good at 51 years.

Friday, 20th August, 2004

Thursday, 19th August, 2004

Wednesday, 23rd June, 2004

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